8 Hays County residents die from COVID-19, 707 new cases tallied Tuesday

The Hays County Local Health Department reported an additional eight COVID-19-related fatalities on Tuesday. 

The county residents who died were an Austin man in his 80s; a Kyle man in his 70s; a Kyle woman in her 70s; a San Marcos man in his 60s; two Kyle men in their 50s; and two Kyle men in their 40s. There have now been 162 coronavirus-related fatalities in Hays County. 

The local health department also tallied 707 new lab-confirmed cases, 315 recoveries, 22 hospitalizations and 19 hospital discharges on Tuesday, which included information spanning through the three-day Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. 

As of Tuesday, 2,744 COVID-19 cases are considered active — a 384-case increase since Friday — and there have been 13,647 total cases since the first diagnosis of the virus  in the county on March 14, 2020. There have been 3,628 active cases over the last 21 days as of Tuesday. The county stated that there have been 1,512 probable cases spanning from April 2020 through Jan. 19, 2021.

There are currently 49 county residents hospitalized by COVID-19 and there have been 658  total hospitalizations as of Tuesday. Some patients hospitalized by COVID-19 are in hospitals outside of Hays County but are included in the county’s numbers if they reside within the county, the local health department said. 

With the 315 additional recoveries tallied Tuesday, 10,741 county residents have now recovered from the disease.

The local health department has received 94,146 negative tests and there have been 107,793 tests administered in Hays County.

San Marcos recorded 200 new cases Tuesday. There are currently 881 active cases — 79 more than Friday —  and there have been 5,216 total cases. 

Kyle has tallied 4,213 total cases, including 851 active cases. Buda has recorded 2,386 total cases and currently has 553 active cases. Dripping Springs has amassed 608 total cases and has 154 active cases. Wimberley has tallied 477 total cases, including 130 active cases. Austin, within Hays County, currently has 85 active cases and has had 366 total cases. Driftwood has recorded 168 total cases and has 30 active cases. Niederwald has had 84 total cases and has 31 active cases. Mountain City has amassed 34 cases and three currently active cases. Uhland has had 28 total cases and currently has three active cases. Maxwell has had 33 total cases and has 18 active cases. Manchaca has recorded 19 total cases and has two active cases.

Creedmoor has had five total cases, including two active cases. Bear Creek has tallied four total cases. Woodcreek has had three total cases and one active case.

The 20-29-age-range has recorded the most COVID-19 cases with 4,061 total cases tallied as of Tuesday.

According to the local health department, 2,150 county residents diagnosed with the disease are between 30-39 years old, 1,878 are 10-19 years old, 1,841 people fall in the 40-49-year-old age range and 1,375 are between 50-59 years old.

Eight-hundred-sixty-seven county residents diagnosed with the coronavirus are 60-69 years old, 790 are 9 years old or younger, 442 are 70-79 years old and 243 are 80 and older.

According to the local health department, 7,142 females and 6,505 males in Hays County have 

been diagnosed with COVID-19.

The county’s ethnic breakdown states 48.4% of county residents diagnosed with the coronavirus are Hispanic, while 32.5% of county residents diagnosed with the disease are non-Hispanic and 19.1% don’t have a specified ethnicity.

By race, 69.8% of county residents who’ve had COVID-19 are white, 26.6% are unknown or not specified, 2.6% are Black, 0.9% are Asian and 0.1% are American Indian.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported there have now been 1,872,614 Texans diagnosed with COVID-19 and 32,394 fatalities as of Tuesday. There are currently 13,928 Texans hospitalized by the coronavirus, according to the DSHS.

At Texas State University there have been 1,617 total coronavirus cases since March 1, 2020 — 1,442 among students and 175 among faculty and staff — as of press time on Tuesday. There are currently 201 active cases, according to the university’s dashboard.

San Marcos Consolidated ISD is reporting 19 active COVID-19 cases — 16 among staff and three among students. Three cases are considered onsite cases. 

COVID-19 causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks for most people. The disease, however, can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death, especially for older adults and people with existing health problems.

COVID-19 VACCINE AVAILABILITY

According to a map provided by the DSHS, there are four providers in San Marcos who currently have received vaccine doses: HEB Pharmacy 455 (200 W. Hopkins St.); HEB Pharmacy 243 (641 E. Hopkins St.); Premier ER San Marcos (1509 N. Interstate 35); and San Marcos Family Medicine (2406 Hunter Road). But, according to the DSHS and San Marcos Family Medicine, all providers allocated vaccines have run out as of Tuesday.  

According to the state, only groups 1A — frontline health care workers and residents of a long-term care facility — and 1B, which consists of those who are 65 years and older and people 16 years and older who have a chronic medical condition such as cancer, chronic kidney disease, sickle cell disease and Type 2 diabetes mellitus, are currently eligible to receive the vaccine. Before visiting a hospital or clinic for a vaccine call ahead or visit their website.